Police allege Grindstone man assaulted girlfriend, fled ambulance

MILLINOCKET, Maine — A Grindstone man was being held at Penobscot County Jail in Bangor late Thursday after he assaulted a woman in East Millinocket and suffered a cut to his hand, then eluded police for several hours, police said.

Paul Cormier, 36, was charged with domestic assault, criminal mischief and hindering the report of a crime late Wednesday. The charges are connected to a fight with a woman police described as his girlfriend at an address on Maple Street in East Millinocket at about noon that day.

Cormier, Millinocket police Officer Gary Lakeman said, fled from the inside of an ambulance while being treated and disappeared before East Millinocket police had enough probable cause to arrest him.

Several hours passed, during which witnesses reported the assault and the woman was treated and released from Millinocket Regional Hospital for unspecified injuries. The woman reported that Cormier broke her cell phone as she tried to call 911, Lakeman said.

Story continues below advertisement.

Then, at around 8:30 p.m., East Millinocket police Officer Cameron McDunnah got a tip that Cormier was staying at a relative’s house on Knox Street in Millinocket and alerted Millinocket police, Lakeman said.

Lakeman called a resident, who eventually confirmed Cormier’s whereabouts. Officer Janet Theriault and Lakeman found Cormier at the house, with a wound to his hand that still was bleeding rather badly, Lakeman said, though exactly how the hand was injured was unclear.

“It was a bad cut,” Lakeman said.

East Millinocket police Officer David Cram was sent to the scene to assist Lakeman and Theriault with Cormier.

“He started to resist, but we waited for Cram to show up and kept him calm until help arrived,” Lakeman said.

Any thoughts the suspect might have had about resisting arrest apparently vanished in the face of three officers, Lakeman said. Police took him to Millinocket Regional Hospital for treatment and then to the jail, where jail officials said he also faced other pending charges.

Cormier’s bail and court date were not available late Thursday, a jail spokesman said.